Factory spool-holder.



A. s. NICHOLS FAGTORY SPOOL HOLDER. APPLIOATIOI FILED JAN. 31, 190B.

902, 47. Phtented Oct. 27, 1908.

AARON S. NICHOLS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FACTORY SPOOL-HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed January 31, 1908. Serial Nd. 413,557.

To all whom it may concern; 4

Be it known that I, AARON S. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Factory Spool- I-Iolders, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to an improved spool holder for use in connection with the sewing machines employed in garment factories, and it consists in the novel parts and devices and combinations of parts and devices hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical section of the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a section 011 the line 83 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a view of a key which may be employed in the modified construction shown in. Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a somewhat different form of the invention.

In large factories for the manufacture of garments, a considerable loss has been experienced from operatives carrying away the half used spools of thread. They seem to regard the partially used spools as a perquisite, or at least in many instances do not hesitate to carry them away for their own benefit. The loss thus occasioned cuts seriously into the small margin of profit there is in the business. By the present invention I aim to check this loss by providing spool holders adapted to be suspended in proximity to the machines, and in which holders the spools are suitably confined at their ends between adjustably connected heads, having devices for locking them together located within the bore of the spool. Such locking devices may be made wholly inaccessible from the outside of the spool, in which case they must be released by rupturing the spool barrel after the thread has been drawn off and thereby gaining access to them, or re-.

movable keys insertible through the bore of the spools may be provided for effecting the release. I have illustrated both of these forms of the invention.

In the drawings 6 is a plate forming one of the heads for confining the spool, and having rigid therewith a hollow stud or socket 7 adapted to enter the bore of the spool, and also having one of its ends bent over so as to form a bearing for the pivotal portion of the wire 8 having a depending portion bearing against the surface of the thread and controlling the unwinding there of, and a horizontal portion carrying a weight 9 by which the depending portion is kept in action. The head opposed to plate 6 and confining the spool at the opposite end is shown at 10, and it is attached at its center to the lower end of a long stem 11 which I denominate the keeper. -The head 10 is but little larger than the barrel 12 of the spool so that the thread can be drawn off the spool in a downward direction without interference. The keeper enters the spool at the bottom and projects upward into the socket 7 and through the plate 6, as plainly shown, and at its upper end is provided with a series of notches or annular grooves 13 by means of which the keeper is looked, as presently to be described, in any position in which the two heads will be brought close up against the spool ends.

After a spool has been placed in the holder, with socket entering the upper end and the keeper the lower end, and the latter has been forced upward until the spool is closely confined between the heads 6 and 10, the heads become locked together by the entrance of the spring 14: which is preferably integral with the socket 7, being in fact a tongue out from the side wall of the socket and bent over as shown, into one of the notches or grooves 13 of the keeper. As the spring 1 1 is wholly covered, it will be seen that no opportunity is aliorded for releasing it until. the spool has been emptied so as to give access to its barrel. Then by splitting or otherwise rupturing the barrel the spring may be forced out of engagement by means of an appropriate tool entered in the opening in the wall of the socket formed by the cutting out of the spring tongue. This permits the spool to be removed.

The holder may be supported either loosely or rigidly in proximity to the sewing machine it serves. I have shown it suspended by a wire 15 from a stationary rod 16. And it will be noted the spool is positioned in the holder in a vertical position, and that at the bottom there is no obstacle to the drawing off of the thread in a downward direction and without any rotation or movement of the spool, the head 10 by which the spool is supported being located at the axis of the spool and not extending outward sufficiently to interfere with the drawing off of the thread.

In the form of the invention shown at Fig. 5, the only change made from the other fig ures is in so constructing the device as to permit the use of a key in releasing the spool from the holder. complish as follows: The keeper is grooved longitudinally as at 20 from its top downward so as to admit a sliding flat key 21, the lower end of which is wedge-shape. This key may be inserted in the groove 20 above the plate 6 and moved down until its wedge end encounters the spring catch and forces it outward from its engagement with the keeper. The keeper may then be drawn downward and separated from the holder and spool. This is an extremely simple manner of unlocking the spool, but it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to it or other details of the invention, as obviously the construction permits of wide variations.

I claim:

1. The spool holder adapted to confine the spool, and means positively locking the confining means so the spool cannot be removed from the holder, such locking means embodying a spring catch which is covered by the spool.

2. The factory spool holder supporting the spool in a vertical position by means located at the axis of the spool so that the thread can be drawn from the lower end of the spool, said holder being provided with a yielding guard bearing on the thread to prevent it from unwinding too fast.

3. A spool holder for factory sewing machines embodying means adapted to be entered in the bore of the spool and serving to support it in a vertical position, such means embracing a spring locking device being wholly within the circumferential line of the spool and permitting the unwinding of the thread without turning the spool.

4. In a new article of manufacture, a spool holder having devices for holding and locking the spool against removal, consisting of a notched keeper entering the bore of the spool and a locking spring adapted to enter said notches.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a spool holder having devices for holding and locking the spool against removal, consisting of a notched keeper entering the bore of the spool and a locking spring adapted to enter said notches, said spring being releasable by a removable key.

6. The combination of a spool "holder for factory sewing machines, having a socket entering the bore of the spool, a keeper adjustable to diflerent lengths of spools adapted to be entered in said socket through the spool, means in said socket for locking the keeper thereto, and means for releasing the locking means.

7. The combination of a spool holder for And this I prefer to ac-- factory sewing machines, having a socket entering the'bore of the spool, a keeper adjustable to different lengths of spool adapted to be entered in said socket through the spool, and means in said socket for locking the keeper thereto.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a. spool holder having locking devices entering the bore of the spool and locking the spool but releasable by a removable key.

9. As a new article of manufacture, a spool :holder having adjustable means engaging the ends of the spools and locking means entered within the bore of the spool and adapted to be released from its end.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a spool holder having suitable holding devices, and means within the bore of the spool for locking said holding devices so the spool will be held against removal, said locking means being controlled by a removable key.

11. The combinationof a spool holder, ofa stationary socket entering the top of the spool, a shouldered keeper inserted through the bottom of the spool and also entering said socket, a spring in the socket engaging the keeper, and :a removable key for releasing the spring.

12. The combination in a spool holder, ofa stationary socket entering the top of the spool, a shouldered keeper inserted through the bottom of the spool and having a toothed portion, and also entering said socket, and a spring in said socket engaging said keeper.

13. Aspool-holder for factory sewing machines having means whereby the holder may behung over the sewing machine, and also having means for locking the spool in a vertical position to the said holder, the said locking means comprising a spring-locking device adapted to be entered within the bore of the spool and protected against manipulation by the inclosing spool, substantially as set forth.

14:. A spool holder for factory sew-ing machines or other purposes, having spool-supporting means for entering within the bore of the spool, said spool-supporting means comprising-a locking device the parts of which that require to be engaged and operated for unlocking and releasing the spool being inclosed and guarded within the bore of the spool.

15. A factory spool holder consisting of a plate (3 covering the top end of the bore of the spool, automatic locking means depending from said plate for locking the spool to the holder and adapted to be entered in the bore of the spool, means for suspending the holder, and means for closing the bottom of the bore.

AARON S. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. GEIGIJR, H. M. MUNDAY. 

